Patriots' hopeful couldn't say no to Harvard's Tim Murphy of Kingston

Long snapper Tyler Ott honed his long-snapping skills and played some tight end over the course of a four-year career under coach Tim Murphy at Harvard. Ott calls the decision to attend Harvard and play for Murphy ''a decision I'll never regret.''

“It was luck, chance, I don’t know,” Patriots long-snapping hopeful Tyler Ott said of the set of circumstances that took him from his Oklahoma roots to Harvard University. “I was originally committed to Tulsa, hometown team. A lot of my former teammates played at Tulsa and rival teammates from the Tulsa days (did as well).

“I got a letter from another Ivy (League) team saying that they were interested and (received) a visit from them so as soon as that happened I just said, ‘Why not send my film to everybody?’ So I sent it to all the Ivies and within a couple weeks I had heard back from (Harvard’s) recruiting coach for Oklahoma at that time and he was coming out to visit. We met and a week later, maybe, I was offered a spot.”

According to Ott, the offer was one he simply couldn’t refuse.

“You can’t turn down Harvard,” said Ott, who became a full-time long snapper and part-time tight end with the Crimson. “Being Oklahoma born and raised, I always dreamed of playing at (the University of) Oklahoma. I wasn’t quite the type of tight end athlete for them, but I hope they regret not seeing me as a long snapper.

“Once Harvard came knocking, there was no saying no. Coach (Tim) Murphy always sits down every recruit in his office and he says, ‘Now if you’re going to say no, you’re going to have to give me a reason why you’re saying no.’ Nobody can come up with a reason.

“The network, the Harvard football family, as far as I can tell is the best network in the world. They stay close. There (are) reunions every year. They take care of you. It’s a decision I’ll never regret. I’m really happy with what it’s turned out to be now.”

Murphy’s law worked out to Ott’s benefit.

While his contributions at the tight end position were modest (16 career receptions for 194 yards and four touchdowns,), Ott honed his long-snapping skills to the level where he earned an invitation to play in the Senior Bowl not to mention the offer to vie for a job with the Patriots.

“It was great,” Ott said of the time he spent playing for Murphy, the longtime Harvard head coach from Kingston. “You see so many guys go through their four years of college and have a new coach maybe twice, but Coach Murphy has always been a rock. He’s kept the program the same.

Page 2 of 2 - “We had new assistant coaches come in. Their motto is, ‘Teach the coaches his way. Keep the team the same. Keep the traditions.’ He instilled character. He brought out the best in everybody. He was a true coach, leader, father figure for people who came all the way across the country.”

Ott earned all-state and district tight end of the year honors as a senior at Jenks High School near Tulsa.

Now he is a specialist, brought to training camp to compete with veteran Danny Aiken for the Patriots’ long-snapping chores.

“There’s no doubt I belong in the league and I’ve been told that since I was in high school, that I could play in the league,” said Ott. “I’m grasping on to that and I’m staying confident in myself, which is all I can do right now.

“Whatever happens here happens, but I think and hope that someone also sees the skill I have and the confidence that I’ll be with another one of the 31 teams, but that’s neither here nor there because I’m here now with the Patriots. One day at a time (is how) I’ll be working today.”

The 6-foot-3, 255-pounder, who holds a degree in economics from Harvard he calls “a great backup for whenever this comes to an end,” believes he is adapting well.

“The biggest thing for me from Harvard to here for me is that we were a shield punt, which meant that I could snap and run down the field right away,” said Ott. “Now we’re all pro style, which means we snap and we have to block left or right every time.

“So I went from not blocking at all after a snap to snapping, blocking, and then blocking faster and stronger guys than I’ve ever seen before. The Ivy League has some great players, but these guys are All-Ivy League guys and All-Americans and first-round guys out here so it’s a different speed. But I’ve soaked a lot up in the six weeks I’ve probably been out here and I’m doing as much as I can.

“I feel like I’m doing well,” said Ott. “The coaches will make the final decisions at the end, but I’m going to stay confident and keep working at what I do.”

Glen Farley may be reached at gfarley@enterprisenews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @GFarley_ent.